Lexus has unveiled its installation Time at the world’s largest design event, Milan Design Week, in Milan, Italy. Located in Art Point and Art Garden at the Superstudio Più in the Tortona design district, a hub for global creative convergence, the exhibit is open until April 21, 2024.
Chief Branding Officer, Simon Humphries, relates that, “Since its inception, Lexus has continually challenged the conventions of automotive luxury, striving to expand the horizons in both products and services to create unique, expectation-surpassing experiences for each customer. The theme of the installation, ‘Time’, comes from our belief that experience and time are inseparable concepts. Time is not something that simply passes, it’s the starting point of all special experiences. Lexus cherishes a human-centered philosophy, and we believe that providing people with unique experiences in an age where technology will allow cars to anticipate and evolve with the customer, begins with exploring the relationship between people and time itself.”
The Time installation explores Lexus’ vision of a future with infinite possibilities enabled by technology. Software that anticipates the needs of the user has the power to continuously expand and evolve to produce unique experiential value for each individual. It also expresses Lexus’ resolve to redefine luxury in synergy with carbon neutrality, exploring how energy and software can advance mobility innovation.
This year Lexus is presenting an installation of works by two designers who have drawn inspiration from the LF-ZC, a concept model that explores the possibilities for a next-generation Lexus battery electric vehicle (BEV).
At Art Point, Hideki Yoshimoto/Tangent presents Beyond the Horizon, expressing a world of next-generation mobility that evolves infinitely through software. Collaborating with musician Keiichiro Shibuya, the work immerses visitors in a world of light and sound.
At Art Garden, the exhibit, 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds by Marjan van Aubel, incorporates solar design and technology in pursuit of a carbon-neutral future.
Installation BEYOND THE HORIZON
This interactive installation is inspired by a future where the personal experiential value of mobility can be tailored to each individual, a vehicle constantly updating its software and transcending the traditional role as a means of transportation through a digital dialogue with customers.
A single line of two-meter tall interactive sculptures are completely uniform in appearance, yet emit light in their own unique ways, evoking different expressions. In the center of the installation, as a symbol of exploration and innovation for the future of mobility, stands the Lexus next-generation battery EV concept LF-ZC.
The blending of time-honored craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology is one of the core themes of this installation. Utilizing the rich heritage of Japanese Echizen washi paper and its 1,500 years of history, the installation boasts an expansive screen stretching 4 meters high and 30 meters wide, illustrating the ever-changing vistas of the horizon. This washi is infused with bamboo fibers, a nod to the material used in the LF-ZC, and symbolizes the brand’s commitment to sustainability and refined luxury. This integration also signifies Lexus’ reverence for Japan’s traditional materials and masterful craftsmanship while forging ahead into the future.
Keiichiro Shibuya has composed the sound installation piece “Abstract Music” to complement the exhibition concept. Sound images generated in real time through programming from a vast amount of sound data move around among the 31 speakers installed throughout the venue. No two moments are ever the same, as the sounds endlessly evolve. The changing of the horizon from dawn to dusk, with LF-ZC as the guide to the future, the ten sculptures, and “Abstract Music” – all come together to create a unique, personalized, and immersive experience.
Installation 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds
This work expresses Lexus’ commitment to advancing the innovation of mobility by celebrating the potential of energy and software while aiming for the coexistence of carbon neutrality and luxury. The installation, depicting a to-scale representation of the concept model LF-ZC, utilizes solar power, harnessing energy from Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) cells and storing it in built-in batteries. It is equipped with motion sensors that respond to movements of visitors, creating an immersive light and sound experience. The aim of this is to reflect our potential synergy with the natural environment, making the visitor an active participant in this vision of the future.
Named for the time it takes sunlight to reach the Earth’s surface, 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds imagines the car positioned among holographic trees and a reflective seating area, set against a backdrop of an interactive sun. Created with 16 of van Aubel’s Sunne solar lamps arranged in a circle, the sun changes color when visitors touch a sensor that is made from a new bamboo fabric developed by Lexus, sending a signal that triggers a personal sunrise for each visitor.
In addition, the installation uses natural sounds such as the rustling of bamboo, which is an auditory representation derived from the bamboo material used in the interior of the LF-ZC, the inspiration for this work.
Exhibition Information
Date: April 16 to April 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Venue: Art Point inside Superstudio Più, Art Garden
Address: Via Tortona, 27 20144 – Italy, Milan
Exhibition:
- Installation BEYOND THE HORIZON by Hideki Yoshimoto / Tangent at Art Point
- Installation 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds by designer Marjan van Aubel at Art Garden
Hideki Yoshimoto/Tangent
Designer, Creative Director. Project Associate Professor at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo. Born in Wakayama Prefecture in 1985. Completed his master’s program in Aerospace Engineering at the Graduate School of The University of Tokyo in 2010, and his doctoral program at the Royal College of Art in London in Design Engineering in 2016.
Founded design studio Tangent in London in 2015. In 2020, he co-founded the field of Advanced Art and Design at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, and further expanded his activities based in both London and Tokyo. Specializes in the progressive integration of design and engineering, providing numerous designs and concepts for world-famous luxury brands, as well as engaging in a wide range of fields from the development of new businesses based on technology to urban development.
His recently founded international initiative Craft x Tech connects Japanese traditional crafts with cutting-edge technology, and he actively presents art works through collaborations with traditional crafts, working on the evolution and passing on of Japanese culture.
His main works include the giant wall art Orb (2023) for the Tanegashima Space Art Festival, the Dawn (2023) that fuses traditional Kanazawa gold leaf with state-of-the-art laser processing technology, the installation Here (2019) for the Hermès pavilion at the international fine watch salon SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), the glass sculpture Rise (2017) released from Wonderglass, the animation Ascension (2016) for the facade of the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa, and the lighting Inaho (2013) inspired by swaying rice plants. Recipient of many awards in the fields of design and engineering, including the Excellence Award from the Artificial Intelligence Society of Japan, Super Creator certification from the IPA Unexplored Software Project, Wakayama Prefectural Culture Encouragement Award, LEXUS DESIGN AWARD, and Reddot Design Concept Best of the Best.
Keiichiro Shibuya / ATAK
Musician. Graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in composition. His wide range of works span from cutting-edge electronic music to piano solos, operas, film scores, and sound installations, and he has bases in Tokyo and Paris. In 2012, he presented the first Vocaloid opera THE END starring Hatsune Miku, with costumes by Marc Jacobs, then the designer for Louis Vuitton, which premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and went on to tour the world. In 2018, he unveiled the Android Opera® Scary Beauty, featuring a humanoid android equipped with AI conducting an orchestra while singing. In 2021, his opera Super Angels held its world premiere at the New National Theatre. In 2022, he presented the Android Opera® MIRROR at the Dubai Expo, and in 2023, he premiered the full 70-minute version of the same work at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Has also worked on numerous film scores, and in 2020, won the Music Award at the 75th Mainichi Film Awards and the 30th Japan Film Critics’ Awards for the movie Midnight Swan. Through his works, he questions the boundaries between technology, life, and death.
Marjan van Aubel
Marjan van Aubel is a solar designer from the Netherlands who explores innovations that combine solar power and technology for a sustainable future. Her self-titled studio engages in creative activities to incorporate solar energy into daily life and she has earned numerous awards. She continues to create a future that fuses sustainability, design, and solar technology, and through solar design, she aims to bring about lasting change, integrating solar power generation into lives through buildings and objects, making it more accessible. Her passion aligns with the Lexus story, which aims to enhance the experiential value of BEVs as a familiar element in people’s lives, leading to an eventually carbon neutral society. Her main works include Sunne, Current Table, Power Plant, and the roof of the Dutch Pavilion at the 2020 Dubai Expo.
Van Aubel graduated with a master’s in Product Design from the Royal College of Art in 2012 and a bachelor’s from the DesignLAB at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2009. She collaborates with well-known brands like COS, Timberland, and Swarovski to accelerate the global transition to solar energy. Furthermore, she was appointed as an ambassador for the Dutch Design Week in 2022, enhancing her commitment to solar energy.
https://www.marjanvanaubel.com
About Lexus
Lexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 244 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With eight models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers nine F SPORT models, one F performance model and one F model. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.
